More than a week after elections brought anti-austerity parties to the fore, the task of brokering a compromise is in the hands of President Papoulias, who thus far has been as unsuccessful as the party leaders themselves.

Germany's get-tough attitude toward Greece, echoed by Austria, Finland and the Netherlands, has angered Greek officials who say they have done everything they were asked to do in order to be granted a second bailout by the troika of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.